Sierra Foothills - There's wine in them thar hillsWith one small discovery of a shiny piece of precious metal, the Sierra Nevada Mountains became a site of frenzied activity during the mid-19th century, as people from around the world came in hopes of quick fortune. The California Gold Rush brought countless prospectors looking for that one large chunk of metal that would relocate them to easy street for the rest of their earthly days. But instead of having their heads in the clouds, newcomers that had their feet on the ground and hands in the soil, may have made the better gamble. . . . keep reading

Paso Robles - Zinfandel and so much morePaso Robles, named for its local oak trees, has for decades been known as a spiritual home for Zinfandel in California. Beginning in the 1850s Europeans settling in Paso Robles brought the first cuttings of Zinfandel from Europe. In the late 1870's Andrew Jackson York began planting Zinfandel on his farm with such success that in 1892, he established Ascension Winery, later renamed York Mountain Winery. . . . keep reading

Dry Creek Valley - Anything ButContrary to its name, the Dry Creek is hardly ever dry. Even in the height of summer's heat, it burbles and splashes its way southeast from its headwaters in Mendocino County, through the Warm Springs Dam, and finally merges with the Russian River in the small, wine-drenched city of Healdsburg. . . . keep reading

Mendocino - California's Organic Wine Mecca"Mendocino, where life is such a groove, you blow your mind in the morning. We used to walk through the park, make love along the way in Mendocino"; This song from Sir Douglas Quintet sums up the easy-going vibe of this highly organic wine grape growing region where nearly 25% of the vineyards are farmed organically, causing journalists to call it "California's organic wine mecca". . . . keep reading

Sonoma Valley - Valley of the MoonsAccording to legend, Native Americans called Sonoma Valley "Valley of the Moon" because the moon appears to rise several times a night behind the surrounding hills. The Sonoma Valley is known as the birthplace of . . . keep reading

CarnerosThe Carneros, which means “the Ram,” in Spanish is the first American appellation to be defined by climate instead of political boundaries or soil type (it received its AVA status in 1983). . . . keep reading

South CoastSouthern Hospitality -- California Style California's South Coast AVA stretches from the sun, surf and celebrity drenched city of Malibu (located just north of The City of Los Angeles) in the north to Ramona Valley (located just south of the city of San Diego) in the south. This large AVA was established in 1985 and encompasses 115,200 acres. . . . keep reading

Edna ValleyI live in San Francisco and you live in Los Angeles – let's meet in the middle. Edna Valley, here we come! The Edna Valley AVA sits in the southern part of California, halfway between the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles. It loca . . . keep reading

The Santa Ynez ValleyDifficult To Say, Easy to Love… The Santa Ynez [SAN-tuh ee-NAZ] Valley AVA is located in the middle of Santa Barbara County, north of the city of Santa Barbara. This picturesque valley, full of gently rolling, vineyard-strip . . . keep reading

The Napa Valley“The World's Best Wine and Food Destination.” Almost 4.5 million people visit the Napa Valley in Northern California each year making it a very popular tourist destination (Disneyland ranks #1, with over 14 million annual . . . keep reading

California DreaminThree-quarters the size of France, California accounts for nearly ninety percent of all wine produced in The United States. In fact, if California were a separate country, it would be the fourth largest wine producing country in the world! A . . . keep reading

Alexander ValleyThe brightest and best spot in the world When Cyrus Alexander, a failed fur trader that lived during the mid 1800's, first laid eyes on the valley that would later be named for him, he called it “the brightest and best . . . keep reading

Chalk HillThere's No Chalk In Chalk Hill! The area takes its name from the "chalky" white soils of the region. However the soils themselves do not contain any chalk but are composed of a mixture of quartzite, volcanic ash, sand and silty loam. Nea . . . keep reading

Central CoastCalifornia's Central Coast – A Wine-Lover's Road Trip Down US 101! The Central Coast AVA is the largest in California, with several sub-appellations inside its boundaries. It stretches approximately 250 miles along the western edge . . . keep reading

Anderson ValleyGood Drinking! There is a lot of “Bahl Hornin” going on in the Anderson Valley. This is a phrase you may hear in the small town of Booneville, which sits towards the southeastern end of the Anderson Valley. The early resident . . . keep reading

Howell MountainNapa Valley's “Mount Olympus” of Grape Growing – Vines Above the Fog The Howell Mountain AVA is a sub-appellation the Napa Valley AVA. It is located about 70 miles north of the city of San Francisco, on the northeast si . . . keep reading

Russian River ValleyThe Russian River Valley is named for the first non-natives (Russians) that settled in Sonoma County. These intrepid settlers, who lived at Fort Ross on the northern Sonoma coast from 1812 to 1841, found Fort Ross to be the perfect spot to hunt sea otters for their furs and to provide food and staples for the Russian colonies in Alaska. The fertile soils of the nearby Russian River Valley were (and still are!) well suited for agriculture and viticulture. . . . keep reading

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